The National Security Council (NSC) has ordered alcoholic beverage factories to cease operations immediately, saying that their products are not considered “basic necessities”.
The move came after approval letters for certain alcoholic beverage factories to operate during the “total lockdown” was circulated online, with netizens questioning whether this was appropriate.
The approval from the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) came under the beverages category. The letter appears to be genuine, based on scans of the included QR code that directs to a Miti website.
However, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said although factories producing food and beverages are among essential services allowed to operate during the lockdown, this was limited to basic necessities only.
“Therefore, alcoholic beverage factories are not included in the category of basic necessities.
“On that matter, the NSC has decided today that all alcoholic beverage factories nationwide are to close immediately,” he said in a statement today.
The episode appears to be a repeat of the first movement control order (MCO) implemented on March 18 last year, where breweries were later among the industries deemed to be an operator in the food supply sector allowed to operate while the MCO was in force.
This prompted backlash from Perikatan Nasional parties, culminating in the approvals being revoked just one day after the matter came to light. - Mkini
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